Elevated railway.



No. 793,282. PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905. J. DERX.

ELEVATED RAILWAY.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1904.

6 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Witnesses Inventor C Httornegs No. 793,282. PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905. J. DERX.

ELEVATED RAILWAY.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3,1904.

6 SHEBTS-BHBET 2.

No. 793,282. PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905. J. DERX.

ELEVATED RAILWAY.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 3, 1904.

a SHEETS-SHEET a.

Inventor Witnesse 9 I I I 7 Hktomegs No. 798,282. PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905. J. DERX.

ELEVATED RAILWAY.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1904.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

CONDUII'. A .9 9 7 Witnesses Inventr r a Httornegs N0. 793.282. PATENTED JUNE 27 1905. J. DERX.

ELEVATED RAILWAY.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 3. 1904.

GSHEETS-SHEBT 5,

&

PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905.

J DERX ELEVATED RAILWAY APPLICATION FILED JUNIJ3,1904.

s fl

i: :iirii -l w MN v 836 MXMQ E.

Witnesses Patented June 27, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB DERX, OF ST. LOUlS, MISSOURI.

ELEVATED RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,282, dated June 27, 1905.

Application filed JHHB 3, 1904. Serial N0. 211,014.

To all wltom, it may concern:

Be it known that l, JACOB DERX, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Elevated Railway, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric railways, and more particularly to a high-speed elevated railway especially designed for rapid transit between distant points.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an electric railway the cars of which are suspended from wheeled trucks mounted for travel on elevated rails or tracks and capable of being driven at an enormous speed with a minimum of power applied.

A further object of the invention is to provide an elevated railway possessing the special advantages of economy of construction, absolute safety in operation, and capable of performing its work more rapidly and effectually than has heretofore been attained.

Another object is to provide means for maintaining the platform of the car in a horizontal position while traveling up or down steep grades and for effectually preventing excessive lateral movement of said car when traveling at a high rate of speed.

Another object is to provide means for ventilating the car and to form said car with a rear compartment adapted to contain mailmatter, said compartment being provided with a discharge-chute for automatically delivering packages of mail at predetermined stations or cities along the route.

Another object is to provide a novel form of pillar or standard for supporting the elevated tracks or rails and means for adjusting said standards vertically to thereby aline the different sections of track when the rails become distorted, due to climatic influences or other causes.

Another object is to provide the pillars or standards with an auxiliary track, upon which is mounted for travel an auxiliary or patrol car designed to carry one or more workmen, whose duty it is to patrol the main line and see that the same is kept in proper condition for the safe and continuous passage of the passenger cars or coaches.

Another object is to provide a system of telephonic or telegraphic communication between the main and patrol cars and between either or both of said cars and intermediate stations along the track.

Another object is to provide an air cylinder 01' cushion at each station or terminal of the road designed to receive the impact of the cars and, further, to provide a manually-operated brake for checking the speed of the car preparatory to entering said cylinder or chamber.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel form of brake mechanism for applying the brakes either simultaneously or successively to the main drive-wheels and track-rails.

\Vith these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a perspective view of an elevated electric railway constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the car, part of the track-casing being broken away to show the car-truck. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the car, car-truck, and supporting-track. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the car-truck. Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation, partly in section, of one of the tracksupporting pillars or standards. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a portion'of the elevated track, showing the arrangement of the air cylinders or cushions at the intermediate stations. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of one of the air-cylinders, showing means for automatically opening the doors. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail view of the mail delivering and .lIO

receiving chute. Fig. 9 is a diagrammatical view illustrating the system of wiring between the intermediate stations and the main and patrol cars. Fig. 10 is a similar view showing the wheel and track brakes.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of th drawings. i

In constructing the railway I support the elevated tracks or rails 5 on the laterally-extending arms 6 of supporting pillars or standards 7, said standards being preferably mounted on a bed of masonry or other solid foundation and spaced a uniform distance apart to give the desired rigidity to the structure. The pillars or standards are preferably tubular in form, as shown, and each consists of a pair of telescopic sections, the lower one of which is provided with a valve 8, by means of which hydraulic pressure may be applied to the upper section for adjustingthe latter vertically to thereby assist in alining the rails when necessary. A clamping-collar 9 is secured to the lower or stationary section of each standard for retaining the movable section in adjusted position. The tracks or'rails 5 areinclosed in a metallic conduit 10, and disposed within said conduit and mounted for travel on 'the rails 5 is a truck or motor-carriage 11, from which is suspended thecar or passenger-coach 12. The truck 11 consists of.

a bedplate 13, provided with depending brackets 14:, in which are journaledtheaxles '15 of the main drive-wheels 16. Power is transmitted to the drive-wheels 16 through the medium of a system-of gearing 17, driven by an electric motor 18, the latter being mounted on the bed-plate of the truck '11, as Journaled in bearing-blocks 19, at. the front and rear end of the truck, are guide-, wheels 2O, and interposed between saidbea'r-E shown.

ing-blocks and the bed-plate of the truck are coiled springs 21, which permit said wheels to automatically adjust themselves to any irregularities in the track-rails. The car 12 is suspended from the motor truck orcarriage by. means of a hanger 22, one-end of which is pivoted between a pair of dependinglugs 23 on the brackets lt, the opposite-end thereof being provided with an enlarged head 24,

which engages a tubular socket 25, secured trucks or motor-carriages maybe employed as may be deemed necessary'to drive the car at the required speed, the motive'po werbeingj regulated by the sizeof the car and'therate of speed at which the latter is to travel. In; the present instance two of said trucks'are employed, one at each end of the car, and inasmuch as said trucks are similar'in'construction and operation the above detailed description of one will sufiice.

The car 12, which may be made of metal or other suitable material, is approximately cylindrical in form, as shown, and provided with conical end portions27, so as to offerthe least possible resistance when traveling at a high rate of speed. The interior of the car is preferably divided into three compartments 28,

29, and 30, the compartment 28, in which is in'thus mounting theplatform33 is to adjust the latter so as to cause the platform to assume a substantially hori-zontalposition while traveling up or down s'teepgrades, regardless of the inclination of the car. This adjustment isaccomplished by'means of a crank35, se-

cured to a sprocket-wheel'36, and over which sprocket-chain pass over looseipulleys 37 and are fastened to thebottom of-theplatform '33,

so that by rotating the sprocket-wheel'36 said platformmay be tilted either up or down, as will be readily understood. Suitable rollers 37" are' arranged'at'the'opposite ends of the platform, said-rollers engaging curved vertical tracks 38, soas toprevent'undue'friction in adjusting the; platform. 'One -or more springs 39 are preferably arranged beneath theplatform at each endthereof for theipurpose of. preventing any sudden .jartothepassengers in adjusting said.platform. Arranged on each side of thetransverse shaft 32and' secured in any suitableman'ner to cross 'beams 40 are apair of similar springs 41 l/V henthe car-is traveling at a hig' h rate of speed, it is undesirable as well as dangerous to open the windows for ventilatingpurposes,

and in order to properly ventilatethe car I ,provide one ormore air-conducting pipes or tubes 42,;preferably arranged within the compartment 28 and through which airipasses'to a suitable'filter or purifier "43 "andthence' to the interior of "-the*car. The air-conducting pipes 42 areprferablyconvoluted, as shown,

and provided with a series of bafiieeplates 4 k to prevent the sudden ingress of air, the

amount of air admitted througheachpipe being controlledby a suitable'valve 45.

The rear compartment 29 ofthe car is provided with a depending 'mail-chute46, adaptedto receive the packages of letters'orother mail-matterto be delivered at predetermined runs a sprocket-chain 37. The ends of the stations along the route. The rear wall of the chute 4:6 is provided with an opening 17, through which the packages of letters are discharged into a suitable mail-receiving chute 48, located at each station. Pivoted to the chute 4:8 is abell-crank lever 19, the long arm of which is adapted to enter a slot 50 in the delivery-chute 46 as the car passes the station and automatically eject a package of mail, which latter drops into the receiving-chute 4:8, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 8 of the drawings.

The long arm of the pivoted lever 49 is tilted to operative position by means of a rod or plunger 50, said plunger being normally held out of the path of the lever by means of a coil-spring, as shown, so as to allow the car to pass any particular station without effecting the delivery of the mail when desired.

At each terminal and intermediate station I provide an air chamber or cylinder 51, which receives the car 12 and acts as a cushion or buffer, thereby preventing the car from stopping suddenly and jarring or otherwise injuring the passengers. One end of each air cylinder or chamber is slightly flared, as indicated at 52. the opposite end thereof being normally closed by a pair of hinged doors 53, to which are secured heavy coiled springs 5a. The doors 53 are normally held in closed position by a sliding bolt 55, operated by a solenoid 56, connected to a local circuit, including a battery 57, as shown. The terminals of the local circuit engage contact-plates 58, secured to the bottom of the cylinder and extending upwardly within the same, so that when thecar enters the air-cylinder it will engage said contacts and close the circuit through the solenoid, thereby withdrawing the bolt against the tension of the spring 59 and causing the doors to automatically open to permit the passage of the car. The air-cylinders are preferably somewhat longer than the cars and the contacts located at points adjacent the forward ends of said cylinders, so as to obtain the full cushioning effect of the cylinder before the doors are automatically opened. The doors 53 may be closed in any suitable manner, as by a cable 60 passing over a pulley and engaging said doors, as shown. As a means for checking the speed of the car preparatory to entering the air cylinder or chamber I provide a pair of outwardly-swinging wings or blades 61, pivoted, as indicated at 62, to the conical front portion of the car, said wings or blades being movable to operative position through the medium of a system of levers 63, controlled by a hand-lever 6%, arranged within the compartment 28.

In order to assist the truck or motor-carriage in ascending or descending steep grades, I provide the main d riving-shaft-s thereof with gear-wheels 65, which engage a toothed rail or rack 66, preferably arranged within the conduit at each grade and to one side of the main-track rails, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings.

1V hen traveling at a high rate of speed, the car 12 will havea tendency to oscillate or swing laterally, and in order to prevent excessive lateral movement of said car I mount inclined spring-pressed rollers 67 and 68, respectively, in suitable recesses 69, formed in the top of the car and preferably one on each side of the tubular socket The rollers 67 and 68 engage inclined tracks '70 and 7 O, secured in any suitable manner to the bottom of the conduit 10, said rollers being normally held in contact with the tracks by coil-springs 71. As an additional means for preventing excessive swinging of the car, especially in passing around curves, I construct some of the pillars or standards 7 with spring-pressed buffer-plates 71, which engage friction-rollers 71, journaled in suitable brackets on the side of the car-body, thereby preventing the car from swinging inwardly against the standards.

The current for driving the motor may be furnished by one or more power-stations 72, arranged at predetermined intervals along the route, the current from the generators flowing through feeders 73 to the main overhead conductor 74, preferably disposed within the conduit 10. The current from the main conductor '74 flows through the contact-roller 75 to the motor 18, and thence through wires 76 to the controller 31 and back through the rail 5 to ground. The wires 76 pass through a vertically-disposed slot or opening 77, formed in the hanger 22, being connected in the ordinary manner to the controller, which latter may be of any approved type.

The motor-carriage is provided with electrically-operated wheel-brakes, each consisting of a solenoid 78, to the movable core of which is fastened the brake-shoes 79, preferably disposed between the main drive-wheels, so that when said solenoids are energized by closing the switch 80 said brake-shoes will be drawn upwardly in contact with the drivewheels, as will be readily understood. In addition to the wheel-brakes I also employ an emergency-brake 81, preferably supported on a bracket 82, secured to the top of the car di rectly below the rails 5, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 10 of the drawings. The emergency-brake consists of a pair of laterallymovable shoes 83, each of which is pivoted at an intermediate point to the bracket 82 and is provided with an inclined contact-face ulapted to engage the adjacent face of the rails The shoes 83 rest on guidingbars 84 and are operated by a solenoid 85, the core of which is pivotally connected to both shoes, so that by closing the emergency-switch 86 the shoes will be forced laterally into frictional engagement with the track-rails, and thereby effectively stop the car.

IIO

In connection with the main railway I employ an auxiliary railway, the tracks 87 of which are supported by brackets 88, secured to the pillars or standards 7 Mounted for travel on each track 87 is an auxiliary or patrol car 89, designed to carry one or more workmen whose duty it is to patrol the main line and see that the same is kept in proper condition for the safe and continuous passage of the passenger cars or coaches. The patrolcar 89 may be driven in any suitable manner, as by a motor 90, the current being supplied thereto in the usual manner from an overhead conductor 91.

In order to notify the engineer or motorman of a misplaced switch or other impending danger, I provide a system of telegraphic or telephonic communication between the main passenger-car, patrol -car, and intermediate stations along the track. This system is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 9 of the drawings, one of the intermediate stations being designated by the letter B, while the telephones on the main and patrol cars are indicated at C and D, respectively.

When the occupant of the patrol-car desires to communicate with the motorman or conductor on the main car, he operates his magnetogenerator 92, which causes the current to flow over the main line through polarized bell 93 at C and back to the generator 92 in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 9. In like mannerC may call up D and communication be established. Station B may call up either 0 or D by inserting the plug 94 in the switch 95, and, if desired, communicate with the next station by inserting the plug 96 in the switch 97, as will be readily understood.

The linewires are preferably arranged within a conduit 97', supported by a bracket 98, (shown in Fig. 3,) said bracket being provided with a continuous contact plate '99, which completes the circuit through a contact 100 on the trolley of the patrol-car.

The inclined track is provided with longitudinally-disposed recesses, in which are seated contact-plates 101, and communicating with said plates and insulated from the track, as indicated at 102, are a pair of metallic rods or pins 103, to which are connected the terminals of wires 10a, leading to the line-wires within the conduit 97. The friction-roller 68 and its supporting-bracket is formed in two sections insulated from each other, as indicated at 105, so that the current flows from one of the contact-plates 101 through one section of the roller 68 through the telephone C and back through the opposite roller-section and contact-plate to the line-wires.

It will thus be seen that communication may be established between the main and patrol car and between either car and the intermediate stations, so that should the track or other portion of the railway be damaged in any way the motorman may be warned in ample time to avoid the danger.

The many advantages of a system constructed in the manner contemplated by this invention will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and it is thought that the construction and operation of the same is at once apparent without further description.

It will of course be understood that while my elevated railway is especially adapted for electric propulsion any suitable source of power may be employed such as cable, steam, pneumatic power,and other propellingenergy.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In elevated railways, a suspended car, means for maintaining the flooring of the car in horizontal position, and means for preventing lateral movement of said car.

2. In elevated railways, the combination with an elevated track, of a motor truck mounted for travel on said track, a car having a movable flooring yieldably suspended from the truck, and means for maintaining the flooring of the car in horizontal position.

3. In elevated railways, the combination with a plurality of adjustable standards, a track supported by said standards, a motortruck mounted for travel on said track, a car having a pivoted flooring yieldably suspended from the truck, and means for maintaining the flooring of the car in horizontal position.

4. In elevated railways, the combination with aplurality of vertically-adjustable standards, a conduit supported by said standards, a track arranged within the conduit, a motor-truck mounted for travel on said track, and a car having an adjustable flooring suspended from the truck.

5. In elevated railways, the combination with a plurality of standards, a conduit supported by said standards, a track arranged within the conduit, a toothed rail extending parallel with the track,a motor-truck mounted for travel on said track, a car suspended from the motor-truck, and a gear-wheel carried by the driving-shaft of said motor-truck and adapted to engage the toothed rail.

6. In elevated railways, the combination with a plurality of vertically-adjustable standards, an elevated track supported by said standards, a motor-truck mounted for travel on said track, a hanger having an enlarged head pivoted to the motor-truck, a suspended car yieldably supported by the truck, an auxiliary track secured to the standards and arranged parallel with the main track, and a patrol-car mounted for travel on said auxiliary track.

8. In elevated railways, the combination with a plurality of vertically-adjustable standards each comprising a fixed and a movable telescopic section, an elevated track supported by the movable sections of the standards, a suspended ear mounted for travel on said I track, an auxiliary track secured to the fixed sections of said standards, and a patrol-car mounted for travel on said auxiliary track.

9. In elevated railways, the combination with a plurality of vertically-adjustable standards, spring-actuated buffer-plates extending laterally from said standards, an elevated track supported by the standards, a motor-truck mounted for travel on said track, asuspended car yieldably supported by the truck, and frietion-rollers journaled on the side walls of the ear for engagement with the buffer-plates.

10. In elevated railways, the combination with an elevated track, of a motortruck mounted for travel on said track, and a laterally-pivoted car yieldably supported by said truck, said car being provided with a movable flooring.

.11. In elevated railways, the combination with an elevated track, of a motor-truck mounted for travel on said track, a laterallypivoted car yieldably supported by said truck, and spring-pressed rollers carried by the car and adapted to engage said elevated track.

12. In elevated railways, the combination with an elevated track, of a motortruck mounted for travel on said track, a car suspended from the truck and having the flooring thereof centrally pivoted, and means for manually tilting the flooring.

13. In elevated railways, the combination with an elevated track, of a motor truck mounted for travel on said track, a car suspended from the truck, a transversely-disposed shaft journaled in the side walls of the car, a flooring for the car secured to said shaft, and means for maintaining said flooring in horizontal position.

14. In elevated railways, the combination with an elevated track, of a motortruck mounted for travel on said track, a car suspended from the truck, a pivoted flooring spaced from the bottom of the car, springs disposed beneath said flooring, and means for maintaining said flooring in horizontal position.

15. In elevated railways, the combination with an elevated track, of a motor truck mounted for travel on said track, a car suspended from the truck, a movable flooring spaced from the bottom of the car, and means for maintaining said flooring in horizontal position.

mounted for travel on said track, a car suspended from the truck, partitions arranged within the car, a flooring pivoted to the side walls of said car, rollers journaled on the opposite ends of said flooring and engaging said partitions, a sprocket-wheel, and a cable secured to each end of the flooring and passing over the sprocket-wheel for maintaining said flooring in horizontal position.

17. In elevated railways, the combination with a suspended car, of a mail-delivery chute disposed at the bottom of the car and provided with a slotted base-plate, a mail-receiving chute arranged in the path of movement of the car and having a mail-ejecting arm adapted to enter the slot in said base-plate, and means carried by the ear and adapted to engage the ejecting-arm for moving the latter to operative position.

18. In elevated railways, the combination with a suspended car, of an air-containingeylinder adapted to receive the impact of the car, doors for normally closing one end of the cylinder, and means for automatically opening said doors to permit the passageot' the car.

19. In an elevated railway, the combination with a suspended car, of an air-containing cylinder adapted to receive the impact of said car, a pair of spring-actuated swinging doors for normally closing one end of said cylinder, and means for automatically opening said doors to permit the passage of the car.

20. In an elevated railway, the combination with a suspended car, of an air-containing chamber open at one end and adapted to receive the car, means for normally closing the opposite end of the air-chamber, and means for automatically opening the closed end of said chamber to permit the passage of the car.

21. In an elevated railway, the combination with a suspended car, of an air-containing chamber open at one end and adapted to receive the car, spring-actuated doors fornormally closing the opposite end of the airchamber, an electrical circuit including a solenoid, a bolt forming the core of the solenoid and adapted to normally look said doors, and means for closing the circuit and automatically opening the doors when the ear enters said air-chamber.

22. In an elevated railway, the combination with an elevated track, of a suspended car mounted for travel on said track, an air-containing cylinder having one end thereof open supported beneath the track and arranged in the path of the car, means for normally closing the opposite end of the cylinder, and means for opening the closed end thereof to permit the passage of the car.

23. In an elevated railway, the combination with an elevated track, of a suspended car mounted for travel on said track, an air-confor travel on said track, a car suspended from said truck, guide-plates secured to the bottom of the conduit, and spring-pressed frictionrollers carried by the car and adapted to engage said guide-plates.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JACOB DERX.

\Vitnesses:

SAMUEL N. ACKER, J. H. JooHUM, Jr. 

